There were worse things
in store for poor Mr. Browborough than his repudiated Shibboleth, or
even than his lost seat. Mr. Ruddles, acting with wondrous energy,
succeeded in knocking off the necessary votes, and succeeded also in
proving that these votes were void by reason of gross bribery. He
astonished Phineas by the cool effrontery with which he took credit
to himself for not having purchased votes in the Fallgate on the
Liberal side, but Phineas was too wise to remind him that he himself
had hinted at one time that it would be well to lay out a little
money in that way. No one at the present moment was more clear than
was Ruddles as to the necessity of purity at elections. Not a penny
had been misspent by the Finnites. A vote or two from their score
was knocked off on grounds which did not touch the candidate or his
agents. One man had personated a vote, but this appeared to have been
done at the instigation of some very cunning Browborough partisan.
Another man had been wrongly described. This, however, amounted to
nothing.
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